The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1887-07-30

Some Practical Suggestions for
the Husbandman and the
Housewife
Information for the Farmer, Stock.
Breeder, P0ulterer, Nurseryman,
and Housekeeper.
THE FARM.
UdrBth Of TRAINED Soil.

Ud,'Hitt Of drained Soil.
The curious paradox is presented in I'M
! derdrained land that IT freezes more deeply
/ IN winter, but SO soon as spring comes II
rapidly grows warmer than land not
I drained. There are much greater ex-
/ tremes of temperature, and both heat and
cold favor the dlsintegration of the soil and
the development of plant food. In we'll
drained land there is no surplus of water
beyond what the soil will naturally retain.
Its freezing, therefore, does not make a
solld stratum of ice, and when ii thaws the
water percolating to the tiles is followed
by air which is always warmer than the
soil. At night when the surface freezes
the expansion of the soil eXpels the air,
which Is replaced on the morrow when the
sun is shining brightly. Stagnant water
IN the soil prevents the circulation of air,
and thus keeps down the temperature I'M
I'll the water is gradually dried out by the
heat of summer.-Americun CttttUatOr.
bccdOIg, Hoet.y, aud u,ttchi.y.
These are three essentials of good cult
walton, writes an English gardener, and, as
regards the first, | consider the most COM
nonsense way of looking at the matter is
that, since 1t is impossible to have good
vegetable crop and weed crop Oft the
same ground at one and the same time,
3
soon as they are observable, or, at any
rate, before they are of sufficient size to 1T
all rob the soil of any of the properties
that ought TO be solely appropriated by the
vegetable crops. To this end 1t is neces-
sary that one mind be thoroughly imbued
with the importance Of the subject, then
will be found ways and means OF doing the
work, however short handed We may bel
mean III reason, and where hands are
allowed IN something like reasonable pro-
portion to land under cultivation. If these
conditions cannot be afforded, then the
next most profitable plan of culture would
be to reduce the amount of ground, and to
do that we'll, and grow on it but one crop
at time, and by thus giving no quarter to
weeds the probabilities are in favor of ut
least as heavy crop of vegetables from
reduced grounds as from a much larger
plot which-of necessity from lack of
lal or-must lie weed invested. But the
remark Will no doubt be made that any and
every crop is liable to get overrun with
weeds. Yes, but the fault does not lie
with the weeds, because they can at all
times be destroyed, and the second phase
OF our ublect-namely, hoeng-is the
best way of effecting their radiance. and,
better still, of preventing their appearance,
and still better, of assisting growth, which
the lOosing of the surface soil does by rend-
erlug the ground more easily susceptible of
atmospheric influences. Nor are these the
only merits We must attribute to hoeing,
for the practice is Indispensable to the OBJ
tanning of the highest results in the cult
vauon of all crops that have to
be grown so close together that
the third phase of our sub
ject namely, mulching cannot be carried
out. OF cour-e, the respect of all crops to
which mulchng can conveniently be ap-
piled hoeing Is unnecessary and mulching
is necessity, If the highest order of cult
walton is the aim; no matter what the char
acter of the soils may be, the practice is
alike desirable and beneficial for the heav-
lest as for the hghtest, for if applied to the
former 1t prevents the soil cracking or
assuring open to the injury of the roots,
and for the latter it renders artificial water
ing unnecessary IN the driest season. But
! am forgetting, by presupposng that the
best material for mulchlng-leng stable
/ manure-is plentiful, which is not the case
in every place lit IS not here, but when it
Is We use it in preference to any other, and
after it is done fall back on the short grass
from lawn mowngs, and when thus reluc-
family compelled to use such material
sprinkling of SCOT or some kind of artificial
manure is first applied and the grass over
this.